5 million hectares of QLD owned by foreign interests

Owen Jacques is an award-winning investigative journalist from Mackay, now based on the Sunshine Coast as APN Australian Regional Media’s Online News Editor. He has a strong background reporting on politics, business and breaking news. Owen has also specialised in resources reporting, which included a successful campaign to fight 100% fly-in, fly-out mining in rural Queensland towns.

ALMOST 5 million hectares of Queensland land is in the hands of foreign interests - less than 3% of the state - but the amount spent on buying fell 14% in just 12 months.

Figures tabled to Parliament from the Foreign Ownership of Land Register showed Chinese investors spent the most buying Queensland plains in the past financial year, spending more than $234 million.

In 2010-11, the Chinese were the third biggest spenders behind both Malaysians and Singaporeans.

But while an extra $80 million was spent by Chinese buyers in 2011-12 compared to the year before, it was still the British who held the most land in the state.

Buyers from the United Kingdom own 2.039 million hectares of land.

The United State's land share is second only to the UK but its share is six-times smaller - just 310,000 hectares.

The largest investor countries for 2011-12 after China were United Kingdom, Japan, Singapore, Republic of Korea, India.

In total, 1.07 billion was spent buying Queensland property in the financial year, down from 1.23 billion the year before.

Natural resources minister Andrew Cripps was unavailable to be interviewed, but in an email he blamed the fall on world economic conditions, although he said the state remained attractive to investors.

Mr Cripps described foreign investment as necessary, healthy and imperative.

"The Queensland Government supports foreign investment because it helps stimulate economic activity and creates jobs across a number of sectors including agriculture, mining, tourism and real estate," he said.

"Queensland has a strong investment partnership with China and Chinese investment here is an indicator of that relationship."

Not all sides of politics agree with the State's stance on foreign ownership with Bob Katter regularly warning against continual investment from overseas.

Mr Katter was travelling on Tuesday but his office passed on comments by email.

The head of Katter's Australian Party was particularly concerned about farmland being bought by international interests.

"Foreign investment - if necessary to provide our farmers with the only exit possible from years of unfair prices or lock in new markets, provide new technology or finance - should normally not be 51%"

Property Council executive director Kathy MacDermott said the figures showed the world had confidence in the state.

And at a time when the markets locally are so weak, she said it should be welcomed with open arms.

"There is no cause for concern. There are rules around foreign investments. There are checks and balances," she said.

"What these investments show is that Australia and Queensland look stable and look attractive."

Any foreigner must notify the Registrar of Titles when purchasing an interest in Queensland property.

LAND AHOY

The Queensland Government's foreign ownership land register showed what countries were buying into the state.